A Level History - America - Practice Exam

What helped lead to the rise of the Ku Klux Klan after the Civil War?

1. Support from the federal government

2. Failure of the Freedmen's Bureau

3. Establishment of the Homestead Act

4. Economic growth in the South

The correct answer is: Failure of the Freedmen's Bureau

The rise of the Ku Klux Klan after the Civil War can be closely linked to the failure of the Freedmen's Bureau, which was intended to help formerly enslaved people transition to freedom and integrate into society. The Freedmen's Bureau faced numerous challenges, including insufficient funding, lack of support from the federal government, and widespread opposition from Southern white communities. This failure created a vacuum in terms of support for freedmen's rights and protection, leaving them vulnerable to violence and intimidation. The Klan emerged in this context as a reaction against the social and political changes that were taking place during Reconstruction. The Klan was founded by former Confederate soldiers and served to uphold white supremacy and resist the empowerment of African Americans. Their violent acts were often justified as a means of restoring order and maintaining what they perceived as Southern values. Thus, the ineffectiveness of the Freedmen's Bureau directly contributed to the conditions that allowed the Klan to rise, as it failed to provide the necessary aid and protection for African Americans, thereby emboldening groups like the Klan to assert control through terror and violence. In contrast, support from the federal government and initiatives like the Homestead Act did not favor the emergence of the Klan in the same manner